Arthur River Post Office

Statement of Significance

The Post Office has played a significant role in communications and the development of the district and in giving the district a sense of place and identity. The building is a fine example of buildings of that period and makes a substantial contribution to the district’s stock of early buildings.

Physical Description

It is located about 15 metres from the north end of the site of the old Mt. Pleasant Inn at the Arthur River townsite. It is a similar distance (15 metres) west of the Albany Highway. The building is one room, brick with a brick chimney and iron roof. A verandah with a wooden floor protects the eastern (road entrance) and window. It is obvious that the chimney on the NW corner was constructed first, it is of Flemish bond pattern. The foundations are of stone on the north and west sides and Flemish bond brick on the south. There is evidence of a larger building initially- an adjoining room/building on south side as the west (back) foundations appear roughly cut at the SW corner of the building. The later brick work is mainly of English bond pattern although there appeared to be some attempt to use Flemish bond to match the adjoining chimney. This possibly replaced a wooden structure said to have been accidentally burned to the ground by the McKenzie boys in the 1920’s. The interior has wooden flooring- wide jarrah tongue and groove. Ceilings are asbestos lined and walls plastered. The door has the letter box hole (fittings have been removed)- formerly a bin was attached to the back of the door as the post office box. The present counter is part of the original which ran wall to wall dividing the 16 feet x 12 feet building in two. Marks on the north wall are still evident where the telephone exchange was bolted and a telephone box was located at the north end of the verandah- a sign ‘Post Office’ was located to the right of the entrance door. Some restoration work was carried out in the late 1980’s with reguttering and also power connection. It is said that in 1904 the building on this site was a Bootmakers Shop (1). Winnie Madden, daughter of, Anthony Madden was another postmistress and when the inn was delicensed and sold to the McKenzie family they ran the first Post Office. Later Blanche Thornton and then another set of sisters, Clara and Maggie Harvey filled the role during the 1930’s. (3) During the Second World War, the duties were transferred to the store across the highway- run in turn by Donaldson, Hebb, Fry, Furze, Kirkham and Sharp families into the 1970’s, when the manual telephone system became automatic.

History

On 16 January 1866, Miss Mary Ann Spratt (born 1837) was appointed postmistress at the 125 mile, Arthur River. She held the position for many years, although it was not gazetted as a post office until 1882. Her brother James had the land opposite the Querending Spring, 125 mile, surveyed in 1867 which became Location 36. Here the Mount Pleasant Inn was built in 1869. It is said that the Post Office was originally located in a room at the north of the inn. The Post Office was connected by telegraph in the early 1880’s and by telephone shortly after the turn of the century. However it was not until 1913 that a subscriber service was available with the connection of the Wagin to Arthur line (2). In 1905, the Arthur River Post Office was downgraded to the status of a ‘non-official’ Post Office, with a reduction in salary for the Post Mistress from one hundred pound to thirty pounds per annum. This reclassification had occurred despite a reported “90% increase in population within the last few years” (3). In May the following year it was reported- Miss Matilda Brown, the postmistress at Arthur River received a notice of her promotion to Wandering and her replacement was her sister, Charlotte Brown, also of Arthur River. No doubt Matilda Brown, the “obliging young postmistress” relished the opportunity to take this promotion as it would save her the three mile walk to and fro’ each day. (4)

Integrity/Authenticity

Modifications: Few – front verandah repaired Extent of original fabric: All

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

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